Arab League Secretary General Nabil Al-Araby hoped Monday Hamas would accept the Egyptian initiative to establish a ceasefire in Gaza.
"The Egyptian initiative calls clearly for a ceasefire," Al-Araby told reporters after a meeting with visiting UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.
He said they discussed the deteriorating conditions in Gaza as a result of the Israeli military ground offensive and the Israeli massacres which killed more than 500 people so far and injured at least 3,300 others.
Al-Araby said he and Ban discussed means of halting the Israeli aggression, hoped a ceasefire would be announced very soon.
Asked about the UN Security Council statement that called for "immediate cessation of hostilities" in Gaza, Al-Araby said the "statement is not enough." He said they have also discussed how the international community could protect the Palestinian people.